Clutch



Oct. 10, 1933. HUGHES 1,929,782

CLUTCH Filed Dec. 9, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q Q 62 a H/S, ATTORNEY Oct. 10, 1933.

F. G. HUGHES 1,929,782

CLUTCH Filed Dec. 9, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 10, 1933 I 1 V hairs-o-srATEs PATENT orrlcn 1 A The New Departure Manufacturing Company,

Bristol; Conni, a corporation of Connecticut Application December 9 1931. SerialNo sip gss 13 Q1aims (01.192-48) "This invention relates to clutches and comlaterally in two directions from a ring which prises all of the 'features of novelty herein is supported by the cage, Each outer cl t disclosed. An object of the invention is to. proring is. enclosed in a shell or capplatej 52 w h vide an improved free-wheel clutch. Another is extended inwardly across the adjacent ends 5 object is to provide 'a simple; inexpensive and the rollers Th smaller diameters} oi the clutch reli ab1e cage for clutch elements. 7 Another 019- surfaces are adjacent. H e j jeet is to provide a cage having associated clutch A draw-n sheet metal me ber forms a com -i operating parts combined with it into a unitary bin'ed" clutch. operating and; driving m mber, structure; To these endsv and to improve :genroller holding cage; and brake drill-n1; and gong;

1Q erally upon devices of the character indicated, prises; a cylindrica sl eve po on '5 an E:

--the invent-ion consists inthe various matters wardly extending driving; web or; flange 58;, nds,

hereinafter described andclaimecl. a brake dr m p r io 6 T eflanse 43' h s as; In its broader aspects, the invention is not plurahty of. openingsfiZ; some of which receive,- necessarily limited to the 'speci-fic construction driving lugs o ifprojecting into them-firom the 1? selected for illustrative purposes in the accomdrive c l-plate: 15. At; other openings a port on Wranying drawings in which of the metal ofv the web. is b nt inw rdly as Fig. l: is an axial section of the clutch and 66. to. form stops, to limit axial movement f m associated parts the section being taken about outer clutch ring 4A. The cylindrical sleeveon the" line 1+1; of Fig.2, portion 56 is, provided with two series of; -in-, 2Q Fig; 2- is a sectional view taken on the line di ed OQ I I SBSLB iQh opening receivins-ei' lk -2-2 of Fig. 1. a er and being long enou h to perm thero ers J Fig.3 is a'sectional view of the cage and assoto shift their positions Ic -W cQ- The ends of ciatedparts.- 3 a therol-lers and the ends. of I the openings are; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modified pr f rablyr unde l uc m t 1 v itting of 253 construction. I a 3 the rollers is effected byrelative rotation between Fig/ 5 is aperspective view of a spring. itherone 0 he clu ch rings, 34 or 315. and, the The numeral lo'indicates a main gear shaft case- Wi h i s I l One set of rollers tends journalled by a ball bearinglZ at the'rearof a 7 lh ft l Q P055 03 Wh r he space. gear box- 14 of a motor canine shaft receiving be ween the inner.- a dute c ut hm mbers is @Qjts power from the engine through the usual more restrictfid, while the otherset then'tends main, pedal operated clutch and shift gears. 0 01 1f hif Xli'QQ DQSi iQ F he e h s ac The shaft 10 is keyed to the hub of a drive isless restricted-u hu ne, set of-rollers-will: plate 16 which abuts against the inner race ring become locked or jammed between its; inner of the bearing 12, the plate being held by a and outer clutchsuriaces and so connectthe 36 v flange 18' on a sleeve 20-which is clamped: on the driving cage tov the shaft 28 The direction-of shaft by a nut 22. Aroller bearing 24 surrounds rotation ci'i-the shaft: 11) for iorward driving or the sleeve 20 and supports the-enlarged hollow for reverse driving determines; which of the end portion 26 of a driven shaft 28rwhich is clutches shall become operative; V v journalled for rotation by-a ball bearing 30 in a A support, Til-is carriedbythe shaft 28 betweena fill plate 32 which is attached in any suitable way to the bearing; 30' and the clutch memberfid andis the gear box or to a separate-easing attached to provided with angannular bearing; recess; 712 to the gear box. A pair oi -inner clutch rings 34 support. a ring '74 which; is pre ierablybronze. and 36 have abutting hub: portions which are The rin G i rotat l iv y O- I Q Sup keyed to the enlarged portion 26'of the shaft 28, port 70 and is held in its recess by the, clutch 45 one of them abutting a flange 37; These. inner member 36. A; screw '76 is threaded in thering' clutch rings have external clutch surfaces38 and projects outwardly to connect the ring to which conform to a hyperboloid of revolution so the cage portion 56. The ring is, in; e iject, that skewed clutch elements in the iorm or a part of the cage and locates. and guides-the cylindrical'rollers 40 will have line contact there-.. cage, 'In Fig. 4, the connection is; made by 50 with. Both sets of rollers are angled or skewed forming a flange '18 on the cage to enter a rein the san'iedi-rection and are arranged to encess 80 in a ring 76A, the ring being of soft metal gage hyperbolic internal clutch surfaces 42 on such as: bronze and havin a spun over part floating outer clutch rings 44 and 45 which are 81 to grip the flange, Slidable axially on; the supported by the rollers. The outer clutch rings members '10. isv a grooved. when 32 having an erd 55 are urged apart by spring fingers 48 projecting face 85% adapted. to; engage the shell 5 2 toshift the clutch member 46 against the pressure of spring fingers 48. The collar may be actuated in any suitable way by the driver of the vehicle and is frictionally held in either of its extreme positions by spring pressed pins 86 (preferably three) guided in radial holes of member 70 and entering either of two annular grooves 88 in the collar.

The position of the collar 82 determines whether there is free wheeling or positive drive;

In the position shown, if the shaft 10 is posi tively driving the car forwardly, the rotation of the cage causes the left hand set of rollers to shift and grip the inner clutch member 34 to drive the shaft 23 in the same direction, the other set of rollers being set free. If the shaft 10 is reversed to drive the car backwardly, the right hand set of rollers will shift and grip the clutch member 36, the first set of rollers being set free. If the vehicle is going forwards with the shaft 28 gaining on the cage (as when the vehicle is going down a steep hill with the engine idling and acting as a brake) the shaft 28 drives the cage and the shaft 10 through the right hand clutch, the clutch ring 36 then tending to roll or'shift the right hand roller set to clutching position and to free the first set. The outer clutch rings always tend to move or stay with the cage due to pressure of the spring fingers 48. It will be noted that relative rotation of the cage and an inner clutch ring is what shifts the rollers and that a faster movement of an inner clutch ring in the same direction as the "corresponding outer clutch ring and cage has the same effect as turning the cage and outer race ring in the opposite direction. For freewheeling, the collar 82 is shifted to the left thus moving clutch member 46 to a position Where the corresponding roller set cannot be jammed between the clutch members. Thus the shaft 28 which is driven by the coasting or free-wheeling vehicle and rotating faster than the shaft M 10 cannot be clutched to the cage through the right hand roller set. The spring fingers 48 are compressed and tend to hold the clutch member 44 to the left but, as long as the inner clutch member 34 is turning faster than the cage, the left set of rollers tend to shift or roll to positions where the roller space is less re- 50 stricted and thus the left hand clutch cannot be effective to drive the engine and the engine will not act as a brake. When, however, the M engine speed is increased or the speed of the shaft 28 becomes less than that of the cage, the rollers of the left hand set again become effective to deliver a' positive drive.

For shifting the collar 82 to produce free Wheeling or positive drive, any suitable mechanism may be provided. Such collar will ordinarily be shifted as a result of movement of the usual clutch pedal, the operation of the clutch pedal also applying a brake to the brake drum 60' and so slowing down the gears connected to gear shaft 10. The cage can be conveniently and cheaply made from sheet metal, as by drawing a disc into theform-of a flanged cup, cutting.

off the bottom wall, piercing the roller openings 68 and lug holes 62 and then bending over the flange to form the brake surface. 7 I claim:

1. In a clutch, a pair of clutch rings, a series of clutch elements between the rings, a cage having a series of openings for the clutch elements, a flange extending outwardly from one 7 end of the cage, and a brake drum projecting from the flange and surrounding the clutch rings; substantially as described.

2. In a clutch, a pair of clutch rings, a series of clutch elements between the rings, a, sleeve member having openings for the clutch elements, a rotatable guide ring attached to one end of the sleeve member, and a brake drum projecting from the other end of the sleeve member; sub stantially as described.

3. In a clutch, a pair of clutch rings, a series of clutch elements between the rings, a sleeve member having openings for the clutch elements, a rotatable guide ring attached to the sleeve member, a drive flange extending outwardly from one end of the sleeve member, and a brake drum projecting from the flange and surrounding the clutch rings; substantially as described.

4. In a roller clutch, a driving cage comprising a sleeve portion having a series of inclined openings which are closed at their ends, a driving flange projecting from oneend of the sleeve portion beyond the openings, and a seriesof rollers retained in the openings and, shiftable endwise therein; substantially as described.

5. In a device of the character described, an inner clutch ring, an outer clutch ring, a seriesof' clutch elements between the rings, and a cage extending between the rings and having an extended drum portion surrounding. the outer clutch ring; substantially as. described.

6. In a device of the character described, an inner clutch ring, an outer clutchring, a series of clutch elements between the rings, a spring urging one of the clutch rings to clutching position, a support, a collar slidable on the support and movable into or out of contact with the spring-pressed clutch ring to render the clutch operative or inoperative, and means for holding the collar in either position; substantially as described.

7. In a device of the character described, an inner clutch ring,'an outer clutch ring, a series of clutch elements betweenthe ringsya spring urging one of the clutch rings to clutching position, a cage member extending between the rings and comprising a sleeve having openings for the clutch elements, a support, a guide ring rotatable on the support and connected to one end of the, sleeve, and a member shiftable on the support for moving said spring-pressed clutch ring to, unclutching position; substantially as described.

8. In a device of the character described, a pair of inner clutch rings, a pair of outer clutch rings, two series of, rolling elements, one pair of clutch rings being shiftable axially to operative or inoperative position, and a ring mounted between the shiftable clutch rings and having spring fingers urging said shiftable rings apart;- substantially as described.

9. In a device of the character described, a pair of inner clutch rings, a pair of 'outer clutch rings, two series of rolling elements, one pair of clutch rings being shiftable axially to operative or inoperative position, a cage having series of openings forthe rolling elements, and a ring mounted on the cage and having spring fingers urging the shiftable rings apart; substantially as described.

10. In a device of the character'described, an inner clutch ring, an outer clutch ring, clutch elementsv between the rings, a sleeve extending between the rings and having openings whichareclosed at the ends to retain the clutch ele- 1 ments, the openings being inclined to the axis of 150 the rings and being longer than the clutch elements to provide for shifting and locking of the clutch elements between the clutch rings, and means for rotatably driving the sleeve; substantially as described.

11. In a device of the character described, an inner clutch ring, an outer clutch ring, clutch elements between the rings, a cage extending between the rings and comprising a sleeve having openings to retain the clutch elements, the openings being inclined to the axis of the rings to provide for shifting and locking of the clutch elements between the clutch rings, means for rotatably driving the cage, and a rotatable guide ring attached to one end of the cage; substantially as described.

12. In a device of the character described, an

inner clutch ring, an outer clutch ring, clutch elements between the rings, a cage extending driving the cage, and a brake drum carried by r the cage; substantially as described.

13. In a device of the character described, an

*inner clutch ring, an outer clutch ring, clutch elements between the rings, a cage extending between the'rings and having openings to retain the clutch elements, the openings being inclined to the axis of the rings to provide for shifting and locking of the clutch elements between the clutch rings, means for rotatably driving the cage, a rotatable guide ring attached to the cage, and a brake drum carried by the cage;- sub stantially as described.

FREDERICK G. HUGHES. 

